There is a famous acronym used by the US Navy: KISS, which stands for “keep it simple, stupid.” This principle of not making things needlessly complicated works not only with military grade engineering but also with fabric printing services. Like most things in life, graphic design works best when it is kept as simple as possible. As such, here are some things to think about when putting your design together which will help your advertising make much more of an impact:
1. Choose the Best Stock Photos
If your design will need the use of stock photos, consider how the photos will work with the text and graphics. They must grab the attention of the viewer without being too distracting and taking attention away from the rest of the advertisement. It is a hard balance to get right, even for experienced designers. Sometimes it is advisable to use a genuine photo rather than a stock image model to give the advertisement a more personal feel.
2. Think About Color
There is a lot of psychology involved with color and the way it is used in advertising that we don’t think about consciously. Some colors make customers more likely to share, buy, or pay attention than others. The color scheme you choose for your marketing materials must also fit with the photos, text, and graphics you choose. Ideally you want colors that attract the eye without looking too garish.
3. Use Everything in Moderation
Don’t worry too much about empty space in your design or feel like you have to fill every gap. Customer’s eyes aren’t going to be drawn to a design that is cluttered and hard to make out. They will prefer a design that grabs them instantly and uses a little to say a lot. You only need to look at corporate logos to see how this works. Everybody recognizes the Starbucks siren or the McDonald’s “golden arches” because they are so simple. Apple doesn’t even need their brand name on their store fronts because their logo is so recognizable!
Making a design, whether in print or for a fabric advertisement, is much trickier than it looks, which is why there are so many horror stories going around about horrendous marketing mistakes. Think simply and you can have a memorable design that will sell and avoid the graphic design hall of shame.
